A St. Louis Merchant

1
A St. Louis Merchants perspective of the War of
1812

• Christian Wilt18 January 1790 27 September 1819

Image source https//stlouis-mo.gov/archive/nei
ghborhood-histories-norbury-wayman/cbd/locale7.htm

2

• Christian Wilt was born 18 January 1790 to
  Abraham and Rachel Wilt of Philadelphia. Letters
  hint that he was well-educated. He was described
  as honest, adventuresome, and enterprising.
  Jennings, 16

Image source http//teachingamericanhistory.org
/files/2013/09/phillymap.jpg
3
Christian Wilts Uncle Joseph Hertzog, who was a
Philadelphia merchant, sponsored his entry into
business.

• Image source http//teachingamericanhistory.org
  /convention/birch/image09/

4
Wilt traveled from Pittsburgh by keelboat down
the Ohio River in the spring of 1810 with 13,841
of inventory composed of groceries from Hertzogs
Crown Street store, and dry goods, some bought
at auction for cash and some secured on short
credit and articles from the Pittsburgh stores
which were charged to Hertzogs account .
Jennings, 17-18

• Images source https//www.connerprairie.org/sit
  e-assets/images/taming/keelboat.aspx

5
The St. Louis in which Christian Wilt now
found himself contained, according to the Census
of 1810, fourteen hundred inhabitants one-fifth
were Americans and about four hundred persons of
color. In no other town of the West was there
such a mix of population it was composed of the
descendants of the early French colonists,
Canadian voyageurs, Spaniards, Indians, shrewd
Yankee traders, lawyers, Scotch-Irish from
Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

• - Jennings, 20

6
When Christian Wilt settled in St. Louis in 1810,
he had little experience in business, and none
in the manner of life and living encountered in a
frontier settlement in 1810. Jennings, 16

• Image source http//bloximages.newyork1.vip.tow
  nnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/edi
  torial/6/84/684c8576-634d-57b7-904a-41834007bb38/5
  307c88fd55e4.preview-620.jpg

7
Saint Louis already had twelve generalstores
operating by 1810, when Wilt rented an old
building on the NE corner of Main Street, between
the streets now known as Pine and Chestnut, for
his first store. Jennings, 33 42

• Image source http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FileS
  tlouis1780.jpeg

8
Wilt outfitted the expeditions of the Missouri
Fur Company, as-well-as individual trappers and
coureurs-des-bois. He also provisioned Astors
Overlanders expedition up the Missouri, headed
for the Oregon Country, in the fall of 1810.
Jennings, 44-45

• Image source http//www.legendsofamerica.com/ph
  otos-oldwest/Trading20with20the20American20Fur
  20Company.jpg

9
Wilt expanded his business interests, investing
in the lead trade. He also made plans to open a
factory, as-well-as a store, at Herculaneum in
1811. Jennings, 86-92

• Image source http//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe
  dia/en/6/67/Herculaneum-mural.jpg

10
Wilt proposed opening another store at Ste.
Genevieve, with P. Falconer as the agent
Jennings, 88

• Image source http//www.aubuchon-online.com/ima
  ges/Maps/Kaskaskia-SteGenevieve2.jpg

11
These merchants, as a class, were important, not
only because of their numbers, but because they
were men of intelligence, wealth, and enterprise.
They developed trade, speculated in land, opened
and operated mines, founded manufacturing plants,
and began weaving the fabric of society in the
land of the West. Jennings, 41

• Image source http//www.nps.gov/bica/historycul
  ture/images/Fur_Traders_on_the_Missouri.jpg

12

• Source http//www.history-map.com/picture/003/L
  ouisiana-with-map-of.htm

13
From August 1805 through April 1806, Army
engineer Zebulon Pike explored and mapped the
upper-Mississippi River to its source in
present-day Minnesota.

• Source http//www.loc.gov/exhibits/lewisandclar
  k/images/ree0102a.jpg

14
These mapswere the most accurate maps available
to civilian leaders and military planners at the
time of the War of 1812.

• Source http//www.loc.gov/exhibits/lewisandclar
  k/images/ree0102b.jpg

15
Map of Illinois by John Melish (1820)

• Source http//www.davidrumsey.com/maps5147.html
  

16
Anticipating hostilities would erupt during the
summer of 1812, Territorial Governor Ninian
Edwards collected intelligence on the Indians of
Illinois.

• Image source Ninian Edwards Papers, Chicago
  History Museum

17
He was interested in their location, number of
warriors, and their general disposition towards
the United States of America.

• Image source Ninian Edwards Papers, Chicago
  History Museum

18
(No Transcript)
19
I gained intelligence that the wampum was
carried by British influence along the banks of
the Missouri and that all the nations of the
great river were expected to join the universal
confederacy then setting afoot, of which the
Prophet was the instrument and British traders
the soul.- Manuel Lisa to William Clark, as
quoted from the Missouri Gazette, July 5, 1817

• Tenskwatawa by George Catlin (1830)

20
The federal Congress of the United States of
America passed the Militia Reorganization Act, 4
June 1812.

• Image source http//frontierpartisans.com/1886/
  vengeance-on-the-thames/

21
The United States of America formally declared
war on Great Britain 18 June 1812.
22
Knowledge that war had been declared reached
Saint Louis 9 July 1812.

• Image source https//stlouis-mo.gov/archive/nei
  ghborhood-histories-norbury-wayman/cbd/locale7.htm
  

23
Wilt attempted to supply American troops during
the War of 1812. Jennings, 36

• Image source http//www.usgennet.org/usa/mo/cou
  nty/stlouis/bellefontaine/bellefontaine-map.gif

24
Fort Michilimackinac surrenderedto the British
17 July 1812.

• Image source http//www.uppercanadahistory.ca/b
  rock/brock5p2a.jpg

25
. . . it is said that there are two regiments
formed in Canada of Yankees and that 10,000
Indians have joined the British standard, the
Foxes, Sacks, Puants and several other nations
have had a council, most of them are for the
British . . . .

• - Christian Wilt,
• St. Louis, July 19, 1812

26
It is supposed here that unless Hull is
successful in the taking of Malden, etc., the
Indians will over-run this country. I just
learned that an express arrived in Kentucky
bringing information of Hulls being defeated and
Detroit and his army entirely cut to pieces. The
person that brings this information from
Kentucky, it is said, may be relied on.

• - Christian Wilt
• St. Louis, July 26, 1812

27
Wilt enlists
28
On 15 August 1812, a column of soldiers
accompanying women and children were attacked as
they traversed the dunes along the shore of Lake
Michigan south of Fort Dearborn.
29
General William Hull surrendered Detroit to
General Isaac Brock the next day.

• Image source http//www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/e
  xplore/online/1812/pics/971_266_detroit_520.jpg

30
I hear nothing of Philipsons adventure to
Canada, Cabanne and Chenir have not returned.

• - Christian Wilt,
• St. Louis, August 16, 1812

31
. . . We have news here that Mackinaw has been
taken by the British and Indians which is a thing
not impossible, as there was only about
twenty-four men stationed there, chiefly cast-off
boatmen (Canadians). If the news proves correct
I fear that British traders may smuggle in goods
and then adieu to all our prospects in the rise
of goods and our expectations of gain on ours.
It is also to be feared that the Indians may come
upon us here, the Governor has ordered out two
volunteer companies to relieve McNairs Company
of cavalry, who have been out one month. Honey
belongs to one and will have to go. I shall have
to shut up his store unless I can find a young
man to take his place. It is a shame to the
heads of our war department that more attention
has not been paid to putting the frontiers in a
state of defense. In Bellefontaine there is
stationed not more than twenty men if that. Fort
Mason, about 150 miles up the Mississippi, about
the same number, Fort Madison about 50 men.
Lieut. Pryor thinks that if Mackinaw is taken
Fort Madison is also as it is much too large for
the number of troops there. Hull marches into
Canada with 2500 when he might just as well have
taken 8 or 10 thousand. If Mackinaw is taken it
will encourage the Indians to ravage the
frontiers.

• - Christian Wilt,
• St. Louis, August 23, 1812

32
(1) Fort Bellefontaine, U.S. headquarters(2)
Fort Osage, abandoned 1813(3) Fort Madison,
defeated 1813(4) Fort Shelby, defeated
1814(5) Battle of Rock island Rapids, July 1814
and the Battle of Credit Island, September
1814(6) Fort Johnson, abandoned 1814(7) Fort
Cap au Gris and the Battle of the Sink Hole, May
1815.

• Image source http//familysearch.org/learn/wiki
  /en/Missouri_Territory_in_the_War_of_1812

33
Spring 1813
34
August 1813
35
Fort Madison, near the mouth of the Des Moines
River, was abandoned as untenable in September
1813, as-a-result of intermittent skirmishing and
being besieged.

• Image source http//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe
  dia/commons/6/64/Old_Fort_Madison,_built_in_1808_-
  _History_of_Iowa.jpg

36
An attempt to re-supply Fort Shelby in
southwestern Wisconsin was thwarted at the Battle
of Rock Island Rapids (Campbells Island), 19
July 1814.

• Image source http//www.illinois.gov/ihpa/Experi
  ence/Sites/NorthWest/PublishingImages/CampbellsIsl
  andBronzeRelief.png

37
A combined-force of Indians and British captured
Fort Shelby, 20 July 1814.

• Image source http//images.wisconsinhistory.org/
  700004120249/0412002568-l.jpg

38
Major Zachary Taylors attempt to wrest control
of the upper-Mississippi River back from the
British was turned-back at the Battle of Credit
Island, 4-5 September 1814.
39
Fort Johnson was established on the Illinois-side
of the Mississippi River in September 1814.

• Image source http//www.callawayfamily.org/image
  s/jamescallawaymap.jpg

40
Fort Johnson abandoned (late-October 1814)
41
Battle of the Sink Hole (24 May 1815)
42
Black Hawk
43

• The History of Saint Louis Neighborhoods,
  Missouri Territory in the War of 1812,
  https//stlouis-mo.gov/archive/neighborhood-histor
  ies-norbury-wayman/cbd/locale7.htm (14 May 2014)
• http//familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Missouri_Ter
  ritory_in_the_War_of_1812 (14 May 2014)
• Ninian Edwards Papers, Folder 3 (1812-1813) of
  Box 1 (1798-1825), Chicago History Musem
• Jennings, Sister Marietta. A Pioneer Merchant of
  St. Louis, 1810-1820 The Business Career of
  Christian Wilt. New York, New York Columbia
  University Press, 1939.
• Teaching American History, Ashbrook Center,
  2006-2012 http//teachingamericanhistory.org/conve
  ntion/map/ (15 May 2014)
• Saint Louis in 1800, St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
  http//www.stltoday.com/news/multimedia/st-louis-i
  n/image_684c8576-634d-57b7-904a-41834007bb38.html
  (15 May 2014)
• Historical Narratives of Early Canada,
  http//www.uppercanadahistory.ca/brock/brock5.html
  (15 May 2014)
• Battle of Campbells Island http//www.archive.org
  /stream/battleofcampbell00mees/battleofcampbell00m
  ees_djvu.txt